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Brief Synopsis

After being ordered by a judge to get out of town, ne'er-do-well Washington Delaware Jones and his pal Jefferson hit the road in search of a new home. While traveling, they discuss the possibility of getting white-collar jobs. Because they are both hungry, Washington and Jefferson decide to pursue careers as food tasters. They begin training for the profession by posing as food inspectors and stealing chickens from a chicken coop. The duo then come across a wealthy man named Brown, stranded on a country road because his car has run out of gas. While Brown's chauffeur is off looking for gas, Washington and Jefferson engage Brown and his friend Dawson in a dice game. After winning all of Dawson's and Brown's money, Washington and Jefferson take their car and instruct the chauffeur to drive them to Dr. Brutus Blake's Sanitarium and Country Club. When Washington and Jefferson arrive at Blake's elegant but crooked establishment, Blake thinks that they are rich and plans to fleece them in a fixed crap game. While Washington and Jefferson settle into the sanitarium, Blake and his partner, Blackstone, become embroiled in a bitter argument. The argument eventually leads Blackstone to threaten Blake with informing on his activities. Later, when Blake sees Washington dancing with the hostess, he flies into a jealous rage and picks a fight with him. Blake is knocked unconscious in the fight when a punch he intends for Washington lands on a wall and dislodges a hanging plate over his head. Calm is soon restored, however, when the hostess reminds Blake that Washington and Jefferson are wealthy and that he needs their money. While Washington and Jefferson are graciously escorted into Blake's gambling room, the ghosts of Blake's dead relatives discuss their regret at having bequeathed the place to him. Because they feel that Blake has turned the sanitarium into a sinful place, the ghosts send the ghost of Ezra Dewey, Blake's uncle, to straighten out the situation. The invisible Ezra arrives at the sanitarium just as Blake has lost the place in a bet to Washington and Jefferson. Much to the dismay of the ghosts, the sanitarium under the management of Washington and Jefferson remains a sinful place. Ezra is now joined by the other ghosts in his effort to rid the property of all the noise and sinful activity. Meanwhile, Blake and Blackstone make plans to regain control of the sanitarium by having the sheriff arrest Washington and Jefferson on trumped-up charges. The scheme is soon thwarted by Ezra, who overhears the plans and spooks Blake by telling him that his dead relatives are ashamed of him. The ghosts then scare away Jefferson, Washington and the others by haunting the sanitarium. After handing over their dice and money to a piano-playing skeleton, Washington and Jefferson run away.